Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane
by Shabon Flurry
Summary: Another stab at a Little Mermaid fanmake. Animus, a distant realm populated by magical creatures, is separated from our world, the Mundane World, by a multicolored waterfall known as the Rainbow Connection. When a nymph named Tsubomi comes across the Rainbow Connection and wanders into the Mundane World, both realms are about to be turned upside down. R
1. Entering the Rainbow Connection

It was a beautiful day out at the woods. Nothing but clear blue skies were seen, without a cloud in sight, and the plants and animals were as peaceful and harmonious as they should be. It was perfect weather for camping, which could definitly be told by several camp buses with 'Dragon's Fang Martial Arts Camp' emblazoned on them driving by. All three buses were filled to the brim with youths that were more than excited for the first day at martial arts camp. As the buses entered the camp gates, all the leaders, captains and the camp director waved to the youths who were sticking their heads out of the windows in joy.

The buses soon parked and before you even knew it kids and teens were all over the place. Tall ones, short ones and everything in between, all wearing backpacks and carrying all kinds of paraphernalia around. Young adult counselors ran around trying to control the pandemonium without much luck. The bus drivers tossed backpacks out of the buses and into a large pile while the men of the camp scrambled to sort the bags between the campers. It didn't take too long for one particular youth, Itsuki Myoudoin, to find her backpack among the pile. Despite her boyish appearance, Itsuki was very much female; the reason for this was that her older brother, Satsuki, was born with a severe illness, so she had to fight for him. Nonetheless, she always had a weakness for the cute, something that could definitely be told by her backpack. "Ah, there it is!" she chuckled, reaching out for the backpack... only for it to end up stuck among a couple more bags, "Which begs the question... How do I get it out?"

A brunet German boy named Ulrich Stern approached her. "You must be new." he remarked nonchalantly, "You didn't know to grab your duffel before the apes tossed it into the heap. I would say you need some serious help."

Itsuki chuckled sheepishly in response. "Thanks... It's the yellow one with the pink ribbons." she pointed out.

As Itsuki and Ulrich pulled on the strap of the former's backpack together, the bus drivers tossed another half-dozen new duffels onto the pile, earning glances from the two youths. Just then, an auburn-haired high-school-age teen named Ryuusei Sakuta arrives and easily pulls his black star-studded backpack from the center of the pile. "Ooh, now that's my kind of guy." Itsuki stated, smiling impressedly.

"Hey, starry! Over here!" Ulrich called, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Ryuusei turned around, as Itsuki pointed at the mountain of bags. "Would you mind giving me a hand? My backpack's the yellow one, way in there." the tomboy explained.

With a sigh, Ryuusei approached the two and yanks Itsuki's backpack out of the pile, giving it back to her. "Thank you!" Itsuki exclaimed with a smile, "I suppose you're Sakuta Ryuusei, Bruce Lee cabin, bunk seventeen, right? I'm Myoudoin Itsuki. We're in the same cabin, though I'm in bunk twenty-three..."

In response to this, Ryuusei gave her a small, barely-noticeable smile. "Cool, I guess." he said as he and Itsuki headed off to their cabin, waving goodbye to Ulrich, who was with the Pencak Silat guys. "So, have you heard about the Rainbow Connection?" Itsuki asked out of the blue.

Ryuusei merely shrugged indifferently. "I'm not into Muppets."

"No, not the Muppets song!" Itsuki corrected him, leaning closer and whispering, "Lately I've been hearing strange rumors that, somewhere around these woods, there is a mythical multicolored waterfall known as the Rainbow Connection. It's said to be a portal to the realm of Animus, which is inhabitated by magical beings. It's really mindbubbling."

The older teen rolled his eyes in blunt annoyance. "I've heard that story before when I was little. It's nothing but an old wive's tale." he stated, trying to shoo away a ladybug that landed on his hair, "Now, forget about that and focus on what's important: starting our stay here at the camp with a bang."

As Itsuki and Ryuusei left to their cabin, the ladybug that was on Ryuusei's hair flew away from them and out of the camp as fast as it could; when it was far enough from the campsite, it sighed in relief and continued to fly, though much more calmly. It didn't take long for it to reach its destination: the fabled Rainbow Connection, which was indeed real. After taking a deep breath and shaking out its tiny limbs, the ladybug entered the Rainbow Connection, and in a blink of an eye, found itself facing a beautiful, colorful forest, filled with vivid plant life and critters joyfully prancing about. As a song began, the ladybug zoomed through the forest and finally reached its first destination; the realm of Animus itself. It was then that a voice that sounded very much like Tina Turner began to sing.

_**Where the earth is young and the air is sweet**_

_**And the mountains kiss the sky**_

_**In the great beyond, with its many paths**_

_**Man and nature live side by side**_

Smiling, the ladybug towards a nearby bush and placed several flower petals of different colors on its back before flying off, scattering the petals around the streets of the mainland. Many Animusians, who were barely awake, caught sight of this and left their homes, following the trail of petals.

_**In this wilderness of danger and beauty**_

_**Lives a maiden, guided by love**_

_**Her heart full of joy, she asks for protection**_

_**Reaching out to the skies up above**_

Many mythical animals and creatures spotted the crowd following the petals and decided to tag along, some because they already knew what was going on, and some because they didn't know and were just curious. Nonetheless, eventually they all reached the final destination, which was a ridiculously large and breathtakingly gorgeous hollow tree, which also happened to be a theatre.

_**Great spirits of all who lived before**_

_**Take our hands and lead us**_

_**Fill our hearts and souls with all you know**_

_**Show us that in your eyes**_

_**We are all the same**_

_**Brothers to each other, in this world we remain**_

_**Truly brothers all the same**_

As the congregation entered the tree and made their way up the spiral staircase that led to a concert hall, the ladybug flew away from them and entered a secret passage, ending up backstage, where several Animusians were warming up for the big event that was going to start in a few moments.

_**Give us wisdom to pass to each other**_

_**Give us strength so we understand**_

_**That the things we do, the choices we make**_

_**Give direction to all life's plans**_

In a particular dressing room, four young Floralibus Nymphs – beings that were in charge of maintaining the beauty and glory of Animus' enviroinment and were more active during springtime – were getting ready for their performance, which was first in the event's schedule. One of them will be important to this story; you will find out which one soon.

_**To look in wonder at all we've been given**_

_**In a world that's not always as it seems**_

_**Every corner we turn only leads to another**_

_**A journey ends, but another begins**_

Upon arriving at the concert hall, all the Animusians were taking their seats as they eagerly awaited for the main event to start. From above, fireflies were scattering sparkles around the stage to make it look presentable for the audience.

_**Great spirits of all who lived before**_

_**Take our hands and lead us**_

_**Fill our hearts and souls with all you know**_

_**Show us that in your eyes**_

_**We are all the same**_

_**Brothers to each other, in this world we remain**_

_**Truly brothers all the same**_

_**Brothers all the same**_

Once everyone was seated, a grand fanfare sounded out, and the ladybug from before – who was known as Francis – flew onstage, with a huge magnifying glass descending from the top of the stage to showcase him to the audience. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 95th Annual Animustravaganza, celebrating an entire century since the founding of Animus!" Francis announced, as the concert hall filled with thunderous applause, "Now, without further ado, I bring you this year's guest of honor... The Floralibus Nymph Major, Hanasaki Kaoruko!"

Another fanfare came up and the congregation cheered as a pegasus-drawn chariot entered the concert hall, carrying an elderly Floralibus Nymph with long wavy brown hair, red eyes, and large pink butterfly wings. This was Kaoruko Hanasaki, the first Floralibus Nymph and mentor of all the others that came after her. By her side was a blue-haired sparrowman donning glasses and an outfit made out from leaves dyed blue; this was Autor, Kaoruko's majordomo.

Once Kaoruko and Autor took their seats, Francis resumed his announcement. "Now, to open this event with a bang, an astounding performance of Lady Kaoruko's students, the Floralibus Four, with an all-new composition by Madame Rosemon!"

As Francis left the stage, Kaoruko turned to her majordomo with a grin of satisfaction. "I'm really looking forward to this show, Autor."

Autor chuckled in response to the statement. "So am I, my lady!" he exclaimed, "I've been checking on the rehearsals since day one, so I'm sure your pupils will be magnificent! In particular that granddaughter of yours…"

Kaoruko nodded in agreedment, turning back to the stage with a warm glance. "Oh, yes, my precious Tsubomi. I wonder how she's feeling about this…"

* * *

"**I CAN'T!**"

In the backstage, one of the Floralibus Nymphs, Kaoruko's granddaughter and most beloved pupil Tsubomi Hanasaki, was sitting in front of the mirror, with her back to her fellow Nymphs: Cornelia Hale, Flora and Saya. Tsubomi was an adorable little thing, with long wavy red hair, bright pink eyes, and pink butterfly wings like her grandmother's. At the time, though, she wasn't exactly excited for the performance. "Geez, Tsubomi, don't tell me you got stage fright out of the blue." Cornelia told her, rolling her eyes in annoyance.

While her fairy mascot Shypre tried to comfort her, Tsubomi turned to face the other Nymphs, her face glowing red from embarrassment. "It's not quite stage fright…" she explained, "I mean, this is my concert debut! I've been practicing all week! I'm afraid of screwing up and embarrassing everyone out of the blue… What will grandma think?" As she said the last part, Tsubomi moaned and covered her face with her hands.

Saya let out a sigh and fluttered towards Tsubomi, gently pulling her hands away so she could look in her eyes. "Don't worry, Tsubomi. Your part is right near the end." Saya reminded her fellow Nymph.

Shypre nodded in agreedment. "You have enough time to practice and make sure everything goes smoothly ~desu!" she added with a grin.

In response, Tsubomi gave them a small smile of hope, although still with a slight dash of insecurity. Of course, it wasn't much time, but as long as she gathered all the confidence she needed to get out there and sing, it would be worth it.

* * *

Back at the concert hall, the audience cheered as a curvy female humanoid red rose Digimon known as Rosemon walked to the conductor's stand, holding a slim golden baton tipped with a red rosebud. "_And now, turn off all magitronic devices, for the presentation is about to start._" Francis' voice came out of a set of speakers located on the ceiling.

Facing the orchestra, which was composed of several plant Digimon, Rosemon smiled and gently raised the baton, turning to a Lillymon. "Sound your A, Lilly."

With a "Laa~" from Lillymon, the other plant Digimon began vocalizing as well. Upon the start of the song, the audience cheered as the curtains opened and three giant flowers rose onstage, which bloomed revealing Cornelia, Flora and Saya, who began to sing.

_**Little bread-and-butterflies kiss the tulips**_

_**And the sun is like a toy balloon**_

_**There are get up in the morning glories**_

_**In the golden afternoon**_

As the Nymphs sang, various Animusians dressed as flowers came onstage and played and danced around according to the lyrics. Kaoruko grinned pleasedly at this, while Autor merely rolled his eyes at how girly and saccharine the song was.

_**There are dizzy daffodils on the hillside**_

_**Strings of violets are all in tune**_

_**Tiger lilies love the dandy lions**_

_**In the golden afternoon**_

_**(The golden afternoon)**_

As the orchestra played on, Rosemon grinned as she continued to conduct, briefly pausing to wipe off the digital sweat from her forehead, before turning the page of the scorebook. So far, everything was going perfectly, but Autor was feeling extremely insecure; what if Tsubomi carelessly wandered away to explore the outskirts of Animus? He _did_ hear her talking about going there a few days prior...

_**There are dog and caterpillars and the copper centipede**_

_**Where the lazy daisies love the very peaceful life**_

_**They lead...**_

Cornelia, Flora and Saya then kneeled down and the stage grew dark, before a group of Palmons came onstage to sing the next lines as a spotlight shone on them.

_**You can learn a lot of things from the flowers**_

_**For especially in the month of June**_

This was the cue for the solo of Rosemon's diva of a twin older sister, Rosemon Burst Mode, who rose from the stage as a spotlight shone on her, making her sparkle. Autor was especially thrilled at this part, straightening his glasses to take a closer look.

_**There's a wealth of happiness and romance**_

_**All in the golden afternoon**_

About the time the instrumental cue began, Tsubomi had already gathered enough courage to go onstage and show everyone what she was made of. After finishing her vocal warming, she shook out her limbs and flew to a platform that was under the stage. "Do your best, Tsubomi ~desu!" Shypre cheered.

Back at the concert hall, Autor, fearing for the worst, covered his eyes with his hands… only to hear thunderous applause as Tsubomi rose from the stage, smiling ear to ear, clad in a lovely pink gown that made her look like a walking cherry blossom. Kaoruko gasped in joy as she watched her granddaughter descend from the platform all the way to the stage, while Cornelia, Flora and Saya stood up once again.

_**All in the golden afternoon**_

_**The golden afternoon...**_

Rosemon then rose her baton one more time, signaling Tsubomi to begin her solo. Indeed, her voice was glorious. Being voiced by Nana Mizuki certainly did help.

_**You can learn a lot of things from the flowers**_

_**For especially in the month of June**_

_**There's a wealth of happiness and romance**_

_**All-**_

Tsubomi suddenly covered her mouth as she hit a high note, leading the chorus to finish the line for her. Regardless, everyone smiled and shrugged in approval, as Cornelia, Flora and Saya embraced their fellow Nymph.

_**The golden afternoon!**_

_**Aaaaahhhh…**_

With a crash of the cymbals, the song ended, and the entire audience engaged on a standing ovation. Tsubomi was quite embarrassed by this, but at least she could feel relieved due to her stunning performance. As the Floralibus Four laughed and hugged, she looked up at her grandmother, who was smiling proudly at her. That was truly a concert none of them would forget.

* * *

_Characters List: Itsuki, Kaoruko, Tsubomi and Shypre are all from Heartcatch Pretty Cure; Ulrich is from Code Lyoko; Ryuusei is from Kamen Rider Fourze; Francis the ladybug is from Pixar's A Bug's Life; Autor is from Princess Tutu; Cornelia is from W.I.T.C.H; Flora is from Winx Club; Saya is from Seijuu Sentai Gingaman; and Rosemon and the plant Digimon… I guess it goes without saying._

_Song List: "The Rainbow Connection", which is mentioned in this chapter but will be sung later, is originally from The Muppet Movie, as if you couldn't tell by the dialogue; "Great Spirits" is originally from Brother Bear; and "All in the Golden Afternoon" is originally from Alice in Wonderland._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Aaaaand I'm back! Sorry for the lack of activity lately. Blame the Writer's Block, school, and my recent obsession with keeping my Tumblr account active. Nonetheless, I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter. I was a tad inspired by Xemnas92's _The Little Immortal_ remake while writing this; it may be more evident later on. Regardless of that, I'll try to keep some originality in mind. Oh, and I hope you guys aren't mad at me for using Tokusatsu characters. Next chapter, we will find out why Tsubomi wanted to go into the woods as Autor thought she would. Until then, read and review!


	2. Dreams at the Library

Later, at night, the Animustravaganza was already finished and everyone went back home. At the hollow tree the Floralibus Nymphs lived in, Tsubomi was in her bedroom, getting ready to sleep, when Kaoruko fluttered in to give her granddaughter a tight hug. "Tsubomi! You were great at the concert today!" the Floralibus Nymph Major congratulated.

As the two broke the hug, Tsubomi giggled sheepishly, pushing a lock of red hair behind her ear. "Aw, grandma… You have to admit it wasn't _that_ great…" she replied humbly, "I did screw up that high note at the end, remember?"

Kaoruko then broke the hug and tapped her granddaughter's shoulder. "Minor details like these don't matter." she stated, "Now, I have something really important to tell you. Obi-Wan Kenobi from Fantasia called me and said we have to discuss important security matters with the Immortal Council. Therefore, I'll be away for a couple of weeks."

Tsubomi frowned in response to that statement. "But who's gonna take care of us while you're gone?" she questioned.

"I've already assigned Autor to do that." Kaoruko answered…

…just as Autor was passing by down the hallway and heard everything. "You've assigned me to do _what_?"

Kaoruko gave him a gentle smile. "You're going to take care of Tsubomi and the others while I'm at Fantasia." she explained, eliciting a small snort of disbelieving laughter from him until she gave him a stern glare and added, "_I'm serious, Autor._"

With that, Autor abruptly stopped laughing and briefly froze. "…Yes, ma'am." he said, slowly fluttering away from the doorway.

Once Autor was gone, Kaoruko's warm look returned, as Tsubomi embraced her. "Don't worry, grandmother. I'm sure everything will be fine while you're at Fantasia. At least that's what I hope." she said softly.

"I hope so too." Kaoruko replied, giving Tsubomi a soft peck on the forehead before floating towards the doorway, "Goodnight, my little flowerbud."

Running a hand down her hair, Tsubomi smiled as she sat on her bed. "Goodnight, grandma. Good luck on your trip." she answered, as Kaoruko turned off the lights and left, all while Tsubomi laid down and closed her eyes, drifting away into slumber…

…and not at all noticing that she was being watched.

* * *

Somewhere else, in a dark lair located in the outskirts of Animus, a shadowed figure was watching Tsubomi through an old TV set. "Yes… Sleep tight, pixie… You must be tired after all that joyful celebrating, aren't you?" said the figure in an obviously female voice, before scoffing, "_Puh-lease_! That kind of party was so much more glamorous back in my high school days… Now look at me! Wasted away to pratically nothing!"

As she said the last part, the figure stepped out of the shadows to look at herself in a mirror. She really wasn't kidding; she was bald and extremely skinny; her skin was extremely pale, almost lavender, as well as wrinkly; and the purple dragonfly wings on her back were frail and could barely even flap. This was Yzma, a mad scientist nymph without magic powers, as well as an old high school classmate of Kaoruko's. "I used to be young and beautiful, but now I look like the cryptkeeper!" Yzma complained, pulling onto her cheeks before turning back to the TV set, "While Kaoruko and her fluttery flower fairies party without a care in the world…"

She scoffed once again, before a wicked smile crept onto her face. "I'll give them something to party about really soon." she remarked, her eyes fixated on Tsubomi's sleeping figure, "And I know _just_ how to do it."

* * *

The next day, during the afternoon, Tsubomi, Shypre and Autor were at the mainland, flying among the busy Animusians that were going on with their daily lives. Normally, Autor wouldn't come, but due to Kaoruko's absence and Autor's temporary job as the Nymphs' caretaker, he simply had to. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination: Planet Bookshelf, the only, yet best and coziest, library in Animus. With the ring of a bell, they flew in, being immediately spotted by the librarian, a young sparrowman with short black hair wildly swept to the right and clad in a parka made from leaves dyed light green. "Ahh, Tsubomi. I've seen your performance on TV yesterday." the librarian remarked with a smile, "Quite compelling."

Tsubomi couldn't help but blush at the compliment. "T-Thank you, Phillip." she replied coyly, "So, do you still have that book I've been looking for?"

Phillip simply nodded in agreedment as he turned to the bookshelves in front of them, closed his eyes and raised his arms to the level of his chest. "All you have to do is give me the exact keywords." he told her, his body glowing with a green magic aura.

Tsubomi and Shypre then approached him, the redhead Nymph leaning close to his ear. "The keywords are: 'Animus', 'myths and rumors'." she stated.

Before she kinew it, one particular book emerged from the bookshelves and floated to them while surrounded in a green aura like Phillip's. The librarian sparrowman then opened his eyes, took the book, and gave it to Tsubomi with a smile. "Here you go."

"Thanks! You have quite a natural talent for that." Tsubomi pointed out as she opened the book and began flipping through the pages until she found what she wanted, "Ha-ha! I knew it was in here. Shypre, would be knd enough to read it for me?"

Shypre nodded eagerly in agreedment as she perched on Tsubomi's shoulder and began reading, "_Legend says that, hidden deep in the Animusian woods, there resides a mythical multicolored waterfall called the Rainbow Connection_ ~desu. _It serves as a gate that separates Animus from a parallel realm populated by those known to the Animusians as Mundanes_ ~desu. _Nobody is sure if these rumors are real or not, but there are evidences scattered around that the Rainbow Connection does exist, and it's just patiently waiting to be discovered by whatever innocent being comes across it_ ~desu."

Upon hearing the information, a puzzled Autor flew towards Tsubomi and Shypre. "So… that's what you intended to do when you said you were going to the woods a couple of days ago?" he wondered, "To find out if some old wive's tale is real?"

As another song began in the background, Tsubomi took Autor by the hand and looked into his eyes. "Autor, it's about time someone found the answer to that question. And many others too." she pointed out, laying down on the floor and resting her head on her hands. Shypre and Phillip came up to her and the three looked at the book as she began to sing.

_**Why are there so many songs about rainbows**_

_**And what's on the other side?**_

_**Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,**_

_**And rainbows have nothing to hide**_

Autor, bothered by Tsubomi's sudden burst into song, leant against one of the bookshelves, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance. He couldn't believe the granddaughter of the first Floralibus Nymph was wasting her time with something that might as well be a hoax.

_**So I've been told and some choose to believe it**_

_**I know they're wrong, wait and see**_

_**Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection**_

_**The lovers, the dreamers and me**_

As she sang, Tsubomi closed her eyes and remembered a short event from her youth, in which she and Kaoruko stargazed at the top of the Nymphs' home. With her gaze directioned at a passing-through shooting star, the little Tsubomi clasped her hands together and closed her eyes to make a wish.

_**Who said that every wish would be heard and answered**_

_**When wished on a shooting star?**_

_**Somebody thought of that, somebody believed it**_

_**And look what it's done so far**_

Snapping back to reality, Tsubomi had her gaze return to the illustration of the Rainbow Connection on the book, as Phillip rested his arm on her shoulder.

_**What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing**_

_**And what do we think we might see?**_

_**Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection**_

_**The lovers, the dreamers and me**_

Tsubomi then imagined herself inside the illustration, smiling as she flew towards the Rainbow Connection and saw her reflection on the water. The reflection looked pretty much the same, but in a pink silk dress and without wings. Both Tsubomis gasped before they smiled at each other and illustrated Tsubomi took the reflection's hand and pulled her out.

_**All of us under its spell**_

_**Keeping the mundane from the magic**_

The two Tsubomis then flew together through the woods before coming across a group of sirens that were carelessly bathing near a stream. The sirens suddenly stop bathing and dive into the stream, leading the Tsubomis to go after them in sheer curiousity.

_**Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?**_

_**I've once heard them calling my name**_

_**Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sirens?**_

_**The voice might be one and the same**_

As Tsubomi snapped back to reality once again, Shypre leant against her shoulder and swayed her head left and right dreamily, quite charmed by the song.

_**I've heard it too many times to ignore it**_

_**It's something that I'm supposed to be**_

_**Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection**_

_**The lovers, the dreamers and me**_

_**All of us under its spell**_

_**The lovers, the dreamers and me**_

Once she was done singing, Tsubomi let out a sad sigh and closed the book, giving it back to Phillip. "Hoo boy," Autor chuckled after an awkward pause, "I wonder how Lady Kaoruko would react if she heard this…"

"Given how much of a kind soul she is, she probably wouldn't mind it." Phillip stated as he placed the book back in its respective bookshelf.

Tsubomi then stood up as Autor took her hand and guided her out of the library, with Shypre following suit. "Buddy, I can't help but notice you seem to be having an existancial crisis here." Autor told the redhead Nymph, guiding her to the way back to the Nymphs' home, "Let's go back home so you can practice your flower magic and maybe forget all of that. What do you say, Tsubo-"

In fact, Autor was so busy in his ramblings that he didn't notice that Tsubomi was flying away from him, presumably following Shypre, who was already gone to begin with, to the woods. "What do you suppose…?" he questioned, trying to catch up with her.

Phillip, who was watching the entire thing, merely waved them goodbye and resumed his work as nonchalantly as possible.

* * *

_Characters List: Just two for now. Yzma is from Emperor's New Groove; while Phillip is from Kamen Rider Double - making him the third Tokusatsu character to appear in this story. _

_Song List: I told you "The Rainbow Connection" would be sung eventually. As mentioned in the previous chapter, this song is originally from The Muppet Movie, with the lyrics properly modified to fit better with the context of this story._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

So, did you guys enjoy this chapter as much as the first one? I certainly hope you did. BTW, as you can see I tried to establish a link to this story's inspiration, _The Little Immortal_; Xem, if you at least want to include a mention of it in your story, go right ahead. And in case you're wondering, "Planet Bookshelf" is another name for Phillip's canon Gaia Library ability, but I thought it would make a cute library name. Next chapter, we return to the Dragon's Fang Martial Arts Camp, where Tsubomi, during her first trip to the Mundane World, comes across the girl who might as well be her one true love. Until then, read and review!


	3. Through the Fire and the Flames

Deep in the Animusian woods, Shypre was flying as fast as she could, while Tsubomi followed her. "I don't understand, Shypre…" Tsubomi wondered, "Why are we here in first place? I can only assume you got interested in the Rainbow Connection too…"

In response, Shypre just shook her head in disagreedment. "I felt pulsations coming from somewhere around here ~desu…" she explained, passing a tree that was shaped like a fork as she got a shiver down her spine and began flying faster and faster, "Ahh~! It's getting closer ~desu!"

Finally, they stopped upon reaching a thick fallen tree trunk; it was at that point that Autor finally managed to catch up with them. "What kind of games… are you girls playing?" he questioned, while attempting to catch his breath.

His words fell on deaf ears as Tsubomi, becoming more and more curious, flew over the trunk… and came across the exact thing she was looking for. There, shimmering in the sunlight, was the Rainbow Connection, as beautiful as the illustration in the book. Tsubomi's heart felt like it could have lept out of her throat, and her eyes were pratically sparkling. The Nymph giggled playfully as she flew towards the legendary waterfall and touched it, feeling the multicolored water slip through her fingers. When Autor flew over the trunk to take a look, his reaction wasn't quite as positive. "Jumping jelly sandwich!" he yelped, nearly falling over as Shypre flew towards Tsubomi.

Tsubomi then turned to face her fairy buddy with a concerned expression. "Alright, Shypre, I'm going in. I don't want you to get into any trouble out there, so stay here and watch for manticores." she explained, taking a deep breath before fully entering the Rainbow Connection.

Shypre's eyes were fixated on Tsubomi's silhouette as she disappeared inside the waterfall. "Okay, you'll go ~desu. I'll stay here and…" It didn't take long for her to realize that she agreed to watch our for something that she was mortified of. "MANTICORES ~DESU?" she asked in shock. "WAIT FOR ME ~DESUUUUUU!"

Once he was all alone in the woods, Autor let out a moan of agony, floating down to the ground and covering his face with his hands. "Lady Kaoruko's gonna kill me once she finds this out…" he whined.

* * *

With a white flash, Tsubomi emerged from the other side of the Rainbow Connection, followed by Shypre, who crashed onto the back of her head, startling her. Cradling Shypre in her arms, Tsubomi took a look around the new landscape of the Mundane World's woods. Unlike in the Animusian woods where all the trees had their own unique shapes and colors, the Mundane trees looked identical, but since Tsubomi loved all kinds of flora, for her that didn't matter as much. As Shypre got off her arms, the two began to float through the woods, exploring the new realm.

It was then that they heard music coming from somewhere nearby. Becoming more and more curious, Tsubomi and Shypre rushed to where the music was coming from; it didn't take long for them to reach its source, which was none other than Dragon's Fang Martial Arts Camp. After a long first day of fighting and training, the counselors decided to give the campers a break for the night, by lighting a huge bonfire at the center of the campsite and throwing a party for everyone.

Tsubomi, quite interested in this, hid behind a cabin to take a closer look at the party. Everyone seemed to be having a lot of fun. Some were dancing, some were eating, some were simply hanging out and talking… and some were still practicing their fighting skills, which was the case of Itsuki and Ryuusei, who were currently having a sparring match, which caught Tsubomi's eye – mostly due to all the Bruce Lee noises Ryuusei was making. Despite it seeming like Ryuusei had the upper hand, the match eventually ended with Itsuki pinning him to the ground with a smirk. "Beat you again." Itsuki said.

As Itsuki helped Ryuusei get up, Tsubomi found herself impressed by the tomboy's skills, and something began to well up inside her. It was nothing like she had felt before… It burned hotter. While Tsubomi had many suitors before, she never felt anything for them like she was feeling for Itsuki right now.

However, her brief love epiphany was interrupted when she noticed two birds, a cardinal and a canary, sambaing on top of her head. "_Tudo bom?_" asked the canary, as the birds got off her head and flew in front of her.

In response to the sudden arrivals, Tsubomi and Shypre exchanged glances and chuckled sheepishly. "We're not from here ~desu…" Shypre pointed out, "We're all the way from a different realm called Animus ~desu… You probably wouldn't understand ~desu…"

"Hey, Nico, we have some tourists around here!" the cardinal, Pedro, stated with a grin, before he turned his gaze to the party, "Enjoying the show, sweetie?"

Tsubomi nodded in agreedment, turning back to the campsite. "As a matter of fact, I've never seen Mundanes before, let alone this close." she said in amazement as she watched Itsuki and Ryuusei sit down by the bonfire to talk. "He's very handsome, isn't he?" she sighed dreamily, referring to Itsuki.

A confused Nico then flew towards Tsubomi and perched on her shoulder. "That's a girl." he corrected.

"Huh?" Tsubomi raised an eyebrow at him.

Rolling his eyes, Nico decided to spell it out for her. "Pedro and I have been watching these kids since day one and we're pretty sure there's no wiener in that hot dog." he explained.

Upon hearing that, Tsubomi, trying to contain herself from the shock, smiled nervously as her eye twitched. "Oh, right… _A girl…_" she said through gritted teeth, the warmth in her heart quickly vanishing.

Regardless of that, they kept watching Itsuki and Ryuusei talk. "So, Itsuki, why exactly are you here?" Ryuusei asked his cabinmate, "I'm just here to improve my Jeet Kune Do prowess and learn new moves…"

With a giggle, Itsuki smiled as her gaze turned to the night sky, fixated on the stars that shone above them. "To be frank, I want to perfect my skills too…" she answered, "But I also want to make some new friends here. Before I left, my older brother Satsuki told me that, even though I'm an excellent fighter and president of my school's student council, I don't have a lot of genuine companions outside of my family, so he asked me to find people who are interested in the same things as I am and try to get along with them."

At that point, Ryuusei lowered his head and let out a sad sigh, remembering his best friend Jiro, who was in comatose state. Itsuki then lowered her head coyly, her cheeks flushing a bright red. "Who knows? I might as well leave as someone's girlfriend!" she added.

This particular sentence caught Tsubomi's attention, as she leaned in closer to listen more carefully. "Okay, that might be an overstatement, but I'm sure that, whoever my soulmate is, they're out there somewhere, and when I find them, I'll know without a doubt." Itsuki added hopefully.

Suddenly, they heard a thunder crash, and the wind started to blow more and more strongly. As a thunderstorm began, everyone at the campsite stopped what they were doing and rushed back to their respective cabins, while outside, Tsubomi, Shypre, Pedro and Nico struggled to avoid being blown away.

But that was only the beginning. The wind was so strong that, for some reason, instead of putting out the fire, it spread it around the campsite, from cabin to cabin, which led to a mass evacuation; in a few minutes the buses were filled to the brim with distressed counselors and campers. Tsubomi became worried for everyone, and her eyes darted around the campsite until she found Itsuki, who was heading to one of the buses when…

"**HELP! **Somebody, help!"

A voice of a younger camper made Itsuki rush back to the flames, all the way to the playground section of the camp. A little boy named Yoshito Sakai was standing on top of the slide, frightened, as the flames became closer and closer to him. "Don't worry, Yoshito! Just jump!" Itsuki shouted, looking up at Yoshito and cupping her hands around her mouth, before spreading her arms as she added, "I'll be here to catch you!"

Tsubomi was in awe at this. In a situation like this, one would probably worry more about their own life, but it seemed like that wasn't the case for Itsuki. Granted, she wouldn't have even bothered to go back there if it wasn't for Yoshito's call, but the fact that she _did_ come for his aid meant a lot at the moment.

The Nymph quickly snapped out of her thoughts as Yoshito jumped off the slide and into Itsuki's arms. Gripping Yoshito tightly, Itsuki ran as fast as she could so the two could escape to the buses, but wind up tripping on her ankle and hitting her head on the floor in the process. "Run… Run while you can…" Itsuki groaned weakly to the scared Yoshito, who did as she told him and ran for his dear life, all while she lost consciousness and let the flames creep closer and closer to her body.

That was what finally snapped Tsubomi's bag of tolerance. Unable to hold herself back any longer, she zoomed into the flames and approached Itsuki, taking her motionless body into her arms bridal-style and flying back to where Shypre, Pedro and Nico were. The group looked back at the campsite sadly before flying off to somewhere safe.

* * *

The next morning, peace had already returned to the woods, and Tsubomi, Shypre, Pedro and Nico were gathered around Itsuki's unconscious body, which was laid by a river. Worried about her, Tsubomi pressed her pointer and middle fingers against Itsuki's wrist, only to feel a slow heartbeat under them. "Thanks goodness. She's still alive." the Floralibus Nymph whispered in relief, running a finger down Itsuki's face.

As Tsubomi's gaze as fixated on Itsuki, Shypre flew towards her fellow Animusian in confusion. "I don't get it, Tsubomi ~desu… Last night I could tell you weren't quite pleased with her being a girl, and now it looks like you don't mind it anymore ~desu. What happened ~desu?" the fairy wondered.

Tsubomi gave Shypre a warm smile in response. "Think about it, Shypre. She could have been selfish and left that boy to burn for the sake of her own safety… But she didn't. She was willing to come back and save him too, even if it meant putting her life in the line." Tsubomi explained, turning back to Itsuki, who slowly regained consciousness as she continued, "I couldn't let such a brave, kind, and selfless Mundane turn to ash. Maybe magic, maybe Mundane, there definitely need to be more beings like that."

With a gentle expression, Tsubomi then leaned down to give Itsuki a peck on the forehead, leading the tomboy to tilt her head to the side. "_Please remember me when you wake up._" Tsubomi whispered softly, beginning to float away from Itsuki, as she turned to Shypre, "Shypre, let's go home."

Shypre nodded in agreedment before waving goodbye to Pedro and Nico and flying off with Tsubomi back to the Rainbow Connection, while Tsubomi's natural cherry blossom scent spread throughout the area; each Floralibus Nymph was born with an unique flower scent that made them stand out from each other, kind of like what the Mundanes called "birthmarks", and Tsubomi was no exception.

Pedro and Nico flew off as well, but to a nearby tree, perching on a branch to watch Itsuki's awakening. Itsuki groaned as she sat upright and heard the sound of one of the camp buses pulling up near where she was. As soon as the bus parked, the doors opened and Ryuusei came out, rushing towards her. "Oh, there you are. The camp counselors were looking everywhere for you." he stated, "Good to know you're alive, but… What happened?"

Itsuki just sighed and rubbed her temples confusedly. "I have no real clue, but it seems like someone rescued me." she explained, "I couldn't recognize the voice, but it sounded like a girl… Who gave me some compliments and told me to remember her when I woke up… I-I don't know."

Ryuusei then took Itsuki's hand as he helped her up and guided her to the bus. "There, there. I think the fire got into your head. Here, let's go back." he told her before sniffing the air, "Do I smell cherry blossoms?"

* * *

Back at the Animusian woods, Tsubomi and Shypre emmerged from the Rainbow Connection, as the Floralibus Nymph sported a smitten expression. The two flew to the other side of the tree trunk, on which a sleeping Autor was resting on, and shook him awake, before the three flew away back to the home of the Floralibus Nymphs…

…blissfully unaware that they were being watched. Again.

* * *

At Yzma's lair, the magicless nymph laughed in amusement and disbelief at what she just witnessed. "Well, well, look at that!" Yzma chuckled, "That sweet little granddaughter of Kaoruko's is in love with a Mundane – and a crossdresser at that!" She laughed some more before letting out a sigh and smirking deviously. "Makes me wonder what Kaoruko will think of that." she added, rubbing her chin as the gears in her head began to turn, "Perhaps I could use that lovestruck pixie to my advantage…"

Once she said that, an idea instantly popped into her head. "That's it! Brilliant, brilliant, BRILLIANT!" she shouted with wicked joy, "**TO THE SECRET LAB!**"

* * *

_Character List: Pedro and Nico are from Rio; while Yoshito Sakai is a minor character from Heartcatch Pretty Cure._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_Whew_~ Finally got this chapter done. Gosh, I had so much trouble with it. But I guess it turned out alright. BTW, sorry if I wrote the most emotionless storm on the history of Little Mermaid fanmakes; it looked more exciting in my mind. Well, you can't say I didn't try. Next chapter is where things take a turn for the scandalous, and the other Floralibus Nymphs get to sing once again. Until then, keep reading and reviewing!

Oh, and a big ol' thank you to Snoball, who sent me a lot of compliments for this story and even helped me out with this chapter.


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